Spark Linux tablet details revealed

Those looking for a tablet designed to be tinkered with should turn their attentions away from Android and iPads, and take look at the cheap-as-chips Spark Linux-based slate.

On pre-order now €200 (£165) and expected to ship in May across Europe, it’s a 7-inch tablet running an open-source OS called KDE Plasma Active UX, built on Linux foundations.

It’s software is designed to let users fully play with the devices coding, letting users create their own apps, and fully unlocking all of the development features straight out of the box. No Android-style rooting needed here to get creative.

In terms of specifications, the Spark rocks an 800 x 480px screen with a 1.3 megapixel camera for video calling. Under the hood, there’s a 1GHz AMLogic ARM processor with a Mali-400 GPU and 500MB of RAM. 4GB of built-in storage features, with expansion possible through the SD card slot.

“This is a unique opportunity for Free software. Finally we have a device coming to market on our terms. It has been designed by and is usable by us on our terms,” said KDE developer Aaron Siego.

“We are not waiting for some big company to give us what we desire, we’re going out there and making it happen together. Just as important: the proceeds will be helping fuel the efforts that make this all possible.”